That Messy Thing Called Friendship
by John Smith
Summary: A set of drabbles exploring the friendship that's budding between the Harpy Gee characters. Eventual Harpy/Humphrey.


_Well hi everyone!_

 _It's been a long time since I posted anything, and this will be my first contribution to the Harpy Gee world. If you have not yet read the webcomic Harpy Gee, you NEED to go do it now. Head on over to_ _and enjoy! Also: As a warning to those who didn't want to go read the comic or who aren't through chapter 2 yet—_ _ **this fanfiction contains large spoilers for chapters 1-2 of Harpy Gee**_ _._

 _The theme here will revolve around the bonds that the characters in the Harpy Gee world are forming right now. This includes romance, but I am also a HUGE fan of mutually developed friendships with depth and meaning. I plan to explore a lot of them here, from Humphrey's relationship with his uncle all the way to Ash's camaraderie with the town brats: Zipper, Trigger, and Hot Dog._

 _All suggestions, comments, and critiques are VERY welcome. I hope to see this awesome and respectful fandom grow into something healthy and fun for everyone!_

 _The Harpy Gee comic belongs to Brianne Drouhard._

 _The ideas and concepts contained within this fanfiction are hereby designated free for all use, including commercial, by the author (me)._

* * *

He had imagined it dozens of times, probably more than a hundred. It was a moment that never, _ever_ went well in his mind—the moment someone discovered his wings.

He expected shock, perhaps amusement at his expense, and he was certain that there would be disgust.

And that was probably the least he could expect.

" _So you really_ _ **are**_ _just a bug,_ " Halesia might say, laughing haughtily before she began arranging for him to be 'taken care of.' Humphrey didn't expect his father to take much notice if he disappeared.

" _Are you even human?_ " He had spent hours trying to prepare an answer to that inevitable question, but all he'd achieved was the revelation that he didn't _have_ an answer.

" _Monster!_ " Because he was. And that had been confirmed tonight.

It wasn't just reactions that he envisioned, either. He also thought up all the ways that his wings might eventually be revealed. It was a horrifying thought—especially since it came packaged with that myriad of ways he'd be shunned and hated thereafter.

He could reveal them during sleep; all it would take is one nosy fool walking into his bedroom, perhaps his uncle. Worse, he could pass out—again—and someone could discover them while he wasn't even awake to defend himself.

Even just a stray gust of wind could ruin his life in an instant.

He'd gone over the moment so many times that he was beginning to think he'd exhausted the possibilities. He had thought of anything that could conceivably happen, if even by a margin.

And then it happened.

Only... it wasn't what he'd expected at all.

" _Why were we trying to save you when you could fly this whole time!?_ " Harpy had certainly lived up to her namesake when she screeched in his ear, but it wasn't fear or disgust on her features as she stared at his wings. Maybe some incredulity, but above all, she really just seemed angry.

Angry that he hadn't _used them sooner_.

That wasn't even the most shocking part. What seemed the most surprising was that she'd acted normally toward him afterward, at least as _normal_ as that strange, green-haired elf could be. It could have been his misunderstanding, but she had shared that pie—and her story—with him as welcomingly as she had with her friends.

And she'd read what Queen Argema had written.

She knew he was turning into a monster. She _knew_ , yet she still touched him and looked him in the eye and told him not to worry.

Strange was not the word for Harpy. It was an understatement.

It had been an odd and unbelievable night, an impossible storm of events that might have made him believe in fate if he were superstitious.

It was one last thought, however, that drew Humphrey's lips into a small, hesitant smile—one that would not be denied, even if he tried to fight it. As he slid under his bedsheets and pulled them all the way up to his chin, he thought about how unexpectedly his wings had been revealed.

In all of his imaginings, he had never anticipated feeling _proud_.

It was a pathetic attempt, and he had failed halfway through before he could be of any real help to Harpy, and in the end he had only needed to be rescued again (although he didn't even quite remember that second rescue). Despite how hard he was trying now, none of those thoughts were negative enough to counteract the awful, proud smile that wouldn't leave his lips.

But why shouldn't he smile?

After all, he had _saved_ her.

* * *

 _I like to think that "accomplishment" is a word outside Humphrey's daily vocabulary. He seems pretty beaten down by his family standing in some ways, but don't you get the feeling that he's also ready to embrace any greatness that's thrust upon him? Granted, it'll probably be awkward and embarrassing, but hey. I think he's still clinging to the hope that he really is worthwhile, and maybe Harpy, Ash, and Opal are the perfect people to prove it to him._

 _And no! Humphrey_ _ **isn't**_ _my favorite character! (But only because there are too many favorites to choose from. xD)_


End file.
